Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has recanted his earlier statement that a prima facie case of money laundering had been established against a former Commander of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Abba Kyari
This comes a few weeks after directing the police to probe him for allegedly receiving 33 proceeds of crime, stating that a case of money laundering had been established against Kyari
According to Saturday PUNCH, the justice minister in a piece of new legal advice said there was no evidence to show that money was laundered by the senior police officer.
Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who is wanted in the United States for alleged involvement in a $1.1 million scam carried out by a notorious Internet scammer, Ramon Abass, aka Hushpuppi, was suspended by the police last July.
He is also facing eight counts of conspiracy, obstruction and dealing in cocaine, and other related offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Sequel to the report of the Special Investigation Panel which probed Kyari’s alleged links to Hushpuppi, the AGF affirmed in January that investigations carried out by the police indicted the former IRT commander for money laundering.
Malami, in a piece of legal advice, therefore, directed the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, to carry out further investigations, noting that a prima facie case of money laundering had been established against the DCP.
He also said the force should intensify investigation into 33 crime proceeds received by the ex-IRT commander.
